Examination of parental risk factors and their associations with reported child behaviors

Early child emotional and behavioral development is influenced by the quality of parent-child interactions. Parent-child interactions may be influenced by parental risk and protective factors. The objective of this study was to examine the association between parent factors, including caregiver age, caregiver and family substance abuse history, depression and receipt of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and caregiver reports of child behavior. The study cohort consisted of 551 children enrolled in Head Start programs and their caregivers. Descriptive statistics, univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to examine the association between child behavior scores and paternal risk factors using data obtained from four urban Head Start centers. Less optimal ratings of child social skills and child behavior scores were noted for parents who had a history of family substance abuse (7.2, p<0.01), depression (0.7, p<0.01), and AFDC receipt (6.3, p<0.05). In this study, younger mothers reported more favorable child behavior and social skills compared to older parents' reports (-2.39, p<0.05). The findings from this study suggest that family history of substance abuse, depression, and poverty may place the child at risk for poorer behavior outcomes, while younger parents reported more favorable child behavior. Social risk factors may identify parents needing more intensive intervention. These data may assist maternal and child policy decisions for the allocation of targeted parent and family intervention.